America votes Michelle Obama as the country's most admired woman

MAKERS
Washington, DC a?? On Tuesday, June 14, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, l-r, Oprah Winfrey, and First Lady Michelle Obama, say goodbye to attendees, after their armchair conversation on Trailblazing the Path for the Next Generation of Women, at The White House Summit on The United State of Women. (Photo by Cheriss May/NurPhoto)
Washington, DC a?? On Tuesday, June 14, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, l-r, Oprah Winfrey, and First Lady Michelle Obama, say goodbye to attendees, after their armchair conversation on Trailblazing the Path for the Next Generation of Women, at The White House Summit on The United State of Women. (Photo by Cheriss May/NurPhoto)

While 2018 has been lauded as the “Year of the Woman,” according to a recent Gallup survey, Americans think this year belongs to one woman in particular: Michelle Obama

The former first lady topped America’s “Most Admired Woman” list, which not only marks the first time Obama has ranked no. 1 on the national survey. This is also the first time in 17 years that Hillary Clinton has not earned the top spot.

Every year, Gallup asks Americans to answer an open-ended question of what man and woman they admire the most.

Americans cast their votes and Obama came out the most popular, with Oprah Winfrey coming in second and Hillary Clinton, Melania Trump and Queen Elizabeth ranking behind the media mogul. Despite a bumpy end to 2018, Ruth Bader Ginsburg earned the seventh spot on the list among fierce females such as Angela Merkel, Nikki Haley, Ellen DeGeneres, Malala Yousafzai and Nancy Pelosi, who rounded out the top 10.

In 2018, Michelle Obama’s place in history was immortalized at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. Her portrait was so popular, the museum had to move it to a larger room, where a photo of 2-year-old Parker Curry mesmerized by her portrait went viral. (Curry’s idol has now inspired her to write a book)

She also recently released an autobiography titled Becoming that details her experience becoming the first black first lady. While on tour around the country promoting the book at sold-out stadiums and star-studded book clubs, the book quickly became the best-selling hardcover book of the year.

“My hope is that this book will inspire everyone to tap into their own journeys of becoming and to share those stories with one another,” Obama said while on her book tour.

America has spoken — and they say she’s done just that.

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